Going back to school is an important part of your child’s recovery. Your child may have missed several months or even a year or more of school. To

help ease your child back into the classroom, meet with teachers, school nurses and principals to:

Make a plan to catch up on missed school work.

Talk about your child’s medicines. Some medicines can make it hard to concentrate or have energy. Plan what to do if issues come up during the school day.

Ask about special services that schools are required to provide to K-12 students needing extra help, such as an Individual Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan.

If your child is in college, encourage them to meet with the school’s disabilities office or academic services to learn about the resources available.

Your child’s education rights

An IEP is a legal document that explains your child’s needs, the special services the school will provide and how the school will measure your child’s progress. An IEP requires an evaluation by a professional such as a school psychologist to see if your child qualifies for special services.

Some of the special accommodations in an IEP may allow your child to:

Have more time to finish assignments or take tests

Use a calculator and recording device

Complete assignments in a different way. For example, if your child has a hard time writing, ask if they can provide verbal answers.

Depending on your circumstances, something similar to an IEP called a 504 Plan may be best for you and your child. A 504 Plan is a document that explains services your child will receive but it’s not as detailed as an IEP.

Talk to your child’s teacher or school staff to learn more about IEPs and 504 Plans and to schedule an evaluation. Ask your transplant center social worker for help getting any required documents.

Your child may feel excited, hesitant and self-conscious about going back to school. Classmates may not know what to say and will likely have questions.

You can help your child plan for how to answer questions. Some children and teens like to use a straightforward approach, like, “I was in the hospital and had a transplant to treat a disease. Now the disease is gone. I still wear a mask and take medicine to protect me from germs that could make me sick.” Depending on your child’s age and personality, they may want to answer these questions or have you or a teacher do this.

After being away from school and friends for so long, your child might also feel lonely or isolated. Talk to other parents and arrange for your child to spend time with friends. Let other parents know that your child isn’t too sick to play with other healthy, vaccinated kids.

Resources for you

One of the most important things you can do for your family is to take care of yourself. Be The Match Patient Support Center offers free information and support programs for BMT parent caregivers. Contact our BMT patient navigators at patientinfo@nmdp.org or 1 (888) 999-6743.

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For people with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma or other diseases, a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant.